Sonia Gandhi to head Congress Parliamentary Party

The Congress does not have the required minimum strength of 55 to claim the Opposition leader’s post unless the Speaker grants it that status.

NEW DELHI: The truncated Congress Parliamentary Party, including the newly elected 44 Lok Sabha members, is expected to reelect party president Sonia Gandhi as its chief when it meets on Saturday and authorise her to choose the opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha as well as Congress' floor leader in the Lok Sabha.

"The CPP will unanimously elect Soniaji as its leader tomorrow. I think it will be up to her to choose the Congress floor leaders in both the Houses as and when required," a senior functionary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) told ET.

Since it is widely believed that Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi may not be keen to be the party's floor leader in the Lower House, nine-time Lok Sabha member and most senior Congress MP Kamal Nath is said to be keen on the post.

For the first time, the Congress does not have the required minimum strength of 55 to claim the Opposition leader's post unless the Speaker grants it that status.

Congress MPs from the southern states, however, believe that the post should go to somebody from their region in case both Sonia and her son Rahul decline it. Karnataka and Kerala together account for 17 out of the party's 44 members in the Lok Sabha this time round. The southern brigade has floated the names of senior Karnataka leaders Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge for the post.

Some other senior Congress leaders feel given the overall challenge that the party is facing after its worst rout in the elections, Sonia should act as the party's leader in the Lok Sabha too.

"I feel Soniaji should be our leader in the Lok Sabha apart from being the head of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Soniaji has effectively acted as the Opposition leader during the previous NDA regime from 1998 to 2004. She has the stature and political authority required for that post," Congress Working Committee member Satyavrat Chaturvedi told ET.

Some young Congress leaders feel Rahul "should take up the Opposition leader's post as ademonstration of his resolve to face the challenges ahead". Asked whether Gandhi would be ready to be the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, AICC spokesperson Shakheel Ahmed said, "Rahulji is the fittest leader. He will be ready to shoulder any responsibility that the party gives him."

Yet, Rahul has shown little aptitude for parliamentary skills during the 14th and 15th Lok Sabha and does not have an impressive track record as MP while the job of the floor leader requires deft floor management and spontaneous interventions. Many Congressmen are curious to find out whether he would be ready for the job.

In the Rajya Sabha — where the real opposition-government floor tug-of-war is expected this time since the ruling NDA is in minority and Congress is the single largest party — Congress Core Group member AK Antony is the senior most leader and the first choice for the Opposition leader's post. The name of Ghulam Nabi Azad is also doing the rounds on the assumption that Antony may turn down the offer.

But the high command's plan to bring P Chidambaram into the Rajya Sabha has added a new twist to the race for the Opposition leader's post in the Upper House.